NOTRE DAME Vol 1: Le Theatre Du Vampire

Not every band wanted to be Darkthrone. In the mid-nineties Swedish underground, Notre Dame were doing something weirder, more theatrical, and considerably more fun about it. Vol 1: Le Theatre Du Vampire is avant-garde gothic metal that arrived in 1999 and has never quite found a tidy category to live in, which is exactly the point.

Count Oleo D'Miserably, the alter ego of Dissection's Eg Lazer, built Notre Dame around a love of horror cinema, classic gothic literature, and metal that refuses to take itself completely seriously without losing the darkness that makes it worthwhile. This record has orchestral flourishes, campy vampire theatrics, genuinely sharp riffs, and an atmosphere that sits somewhere between a Hammer Horror set and a Swedish basement rehearsal room. For collectors of the strange and the dramatic in dark alternative music, it belongs in the pile.

Full length album on CD. Released 1999. Country of origin: Sweden. Genre: Avant-garde / Gothic Metal.

Fans of: Opera IX, Theatres des Vampires, King Diamond, Cradle of Filth.